TKANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 181 



are largely intermixed Avitli the people of the plains, especially among the lower 

 castes. 



Most of these speak dialects of the Dravidian tongue, and in their hunting-excur- 

 sions make use of a curved stick, which they throw with great dexterity, the con- 

 cave edge heing directed to the object. Hares, birds, and even deer are killed 

 with them. 



From this primitive form many of the modern metallic weapons appear to have 

 been derived, such as the coorg knife or axe, in general use on the Malabar coast, 

 the liuhri of the Guikhas, in Nepal, and the common woodman's knife 

 throughout India — all of which are curved and have the cutting-edge on the 

 concave side. These knives, or choppers, are also used as instruments of sacrifice, 

 with which the heads of the victims, even of the bufi'alo, are often severed by a 

 single blow. 



Prof. Huxley, in his fourfold classification of the varieties of the human race, 

 has found what he terms the Australoid division to be represented by the Austra- 

 lians proper, the Hill tribes of Central India, and the Ancient Egyptians. Now it 

 is remarkable that among all these the throwing-stick is or has been in use. The 

 boomerang of the Australians is well known ; a similar weapon is depicted in the 

 hunting-scenes on the walls of the tombs of the kings at Thebes, and in India 

 it is found to be still in use by the inhabitants of the wilder districts, the de- 

 scendants of aboriginal races. 



Such coincidences can hardly be accidental, and they aflford a remarkable sup- 

 port to a deduction drawn from totally difierent premises. 



The Egyptian " throw-stick," according to Sir Gardener Wilkinson, which he 

 found represented on the sculptured walls of temples, is still in use among the 

 Desert Arabs, and is a formidable we;ipon in their hands. The Kaffir club made 

 out of the long horn of the M/tmoccros siimis may be of similar origin. 



On the Alphabet and its Origin. By Johk Evans, Eso[., F.B.S., F.S.A., Sfc. 



After mentioning the labours of Gesenius, De RougiS, and Lenorniant on the 

 Continent, Professor Hewitt Key, Professor Rawlinson, and Mr. E. B. Tylor in 

 England, who had, as well as others, done much to throw light on this field of 

 research, the author treated the subject under three heads : — 



1. As to the origin of writing and the method of its development in different 

 parts of the globe ; 



2. As to the original Alphabet from which that in common use amongst us was 

 derived ; and 



3. As to the history and development of that original Alphabet. 



So mysterious does the power of conveying information to others by writing 

 appear to savages, that they regard written documents as no less than magical, 

 and have been known to hide them at the time of committing a misdeed which 

 they feared might be discovered by their means. Yet many of those in the lower 

 stages of civilization have some ideas as to pictorial records. 



The cave-dwellers of the south of France at a time when the use of metals 

 was unknown, and when reindeer formed one of the principal articles of food in 

 that part of the world, possessed considerable powers of drawing and of sculp- 

 ture. On some of their bone instruments figures of animals are engraved, which 

 possibly may to the original owners have conveyed some reminiscences of scenes 

 they had witnessed when hunting. Among the Esquimaux such records are fre- 

 quently carved on their weapons, and the taking of seals and the harpooning of 

 w'hales are often depicted. Capt. Beechey saj's that he could gather from these 

 representations a better insight into the habits of the people than could be obtained 

 from any signs or otlier intimations. 



Among the North- American Indians the system of picture-writing has been 

 more fully developed, and numerous instances are recorded in Schoolcraft's 'Indian 

 Tribes.' 



In Mexico the art of pictorial representation had at the time of the Conquest 

 been carried to great perfection. The bulk of the pictures, however, merely re- 



